KATHMANDU, Jun 18:  The three day meeting of journalists across the South Asian countries under the aegis of International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung(FES) (a Germany based NGO) got under way at Summit Hotel Kathmandu in Nepal.

The workshop which started Sunday have representatives from the thirteen different Asian countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines and Australia.  The theme of the three-day free thinkers huddling is to primarily focus on the challenges of journalism and building power for journalists and media workers in the digital economy.

Convening the inaugural session, IFJ Director Jacqui Park remarked that the journalism profession across the world is facing common challenges including safety and security of the working journalists on the field and excessive censorship by the democratic governments.  Park exhorted that collective efforts and by strengthening   the unions across the region and the world is only remedy to fight pressing challenges to the profession.

IFJ President Jane Worthington observed that the traditional economic model of journalism is collapsing as advertisers move online and into social media, and the public has become accustomed to receiving information for free.

IFJ President further added that the unions have no place in today's modern media industry, as the working patterns are radically different from the past when unions were strong.

“So our focus must be to understand the impact technological, economic and social changes have had on our industry and our unions” she called upon the affiliates unions across the Asia.

The free thinkers workshop further identified several challenges to the profession that among were disinterest of young journalists to join union, Identity crisis of union, aggressive approaches towards to the media by the democratic governments in the region, the manipulation of media owners, the financial instability, trust deficit etc.

The Wire online news founding Editor Sidharth Bhatia of India and Stacy De Jesus of  Philipines who was  representing  ‘Rappler, a social media news organization gave presentation on Journalism disrupted or digital disruption.  

The IFJ later paid tribute to the journalists’ community across the world that have been killed on the line duty including Shujaat Bhukari Editor of Rising Kashmir was slain on Friday by unidentified assailants.

On second day of the session the house felt that engaging young journalists by addressing their issues to instill sense of security both job and lives and developing sense of community and belongingness among the journalists would build union more power. The house also felt that voice for economic benefits and against gender inequality  and the solidarity translated into measurable meaningful would make union stronger.

Moazum Mohmmad of Young Journalists Associations of Kashmir and Samandar Rahimullah of Afghanistan presented media scenario of conflict zone and the how the journalists have to face repressive laws and action from Armed forces and insurgent.  “ There is no safe house in Afghanistan to move out journalists working in war zone’ we have been appealing for it but yields no result” Samandar rued.

In order to strengthen the union’s activities across the globe, the IFJ President Jane Worthington presented Union-to-Union Global Project.

Indian Journalists Union (IJU) Secretary General elect Sabina Inderjit and Amar Sangno, President of Arunachal Pradesh Union Journalists Union (APUWJ) are representing the Indian Journalists Union at IFJ-FES meet.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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